Country Decor Blog

Ah, the Ireland jet-lag (not to mention hangover!) is finally over. Now that I’ve recovered and have finished production on our upcoming fall issue of Canadian Gardening, it’s time for me to muse about all things, well, Irish! It’s amazing how ten days in a country as spectacular as Ireland can really monopolize your mind! In particular, of been thinking about the incredibly dairy products that I consumed regularly on my Irish sojourn. There’s something rich and decadent about Irish cheese, butter and milk. As much as I love cheese, I tend to avoid it (as well as butter) due to its high fat content. But when you’re faced with something as decadent as Irish dairy, it’s hard to say no!

Our first day in Ireland was spent at a farmer’s market. There, we discovered the homemade cheeses by the quirky and talented cheesemaker Silke Croppe. With her flaming red hair and coordinating red and white tent, there was no escaping finding her  at the tiny Dublin market. Little did we know that it would not be our first taste of Silke’s fine cheeses - throughout our journey, her name would reappear as a supplier on menus of such fab restaurants as the Winding Stair in Dublin! Her cheeses, made from raw goat’s milk and cow’s milk, is simply divine.

Silke's homemade cheeses

We purchased a “tasting” box of cheese for our outdoor picnic at the Farmleigh estate in Dublin (of course it poured rain so the picnic was done under cover!) and we all, including Tourism Ireland contest winner Peggy, her sister Jackie as well as photographer Stacey Haines. If you like homemade cheese, as I do (I think it’s even worth the calories!!!), a couple of terrific shops in Canada worth checking out are The Cheese Boutique in Toronto (my boyfriend’s kids are obsessed with it - in particular the ridiculously creamy brie allegedly favoured by Napoleon) as well as David Wood Cheese on Salt Spring Island (you can buy Salt Spring goat cheese all over Canada now - yum!). If you have any other fantastic suggestions of homemade cheeses that you would recommend, please let me know!

As an interesting aside, I am completely obsessed with attending farmer’s markets this summer. More next time on my new favourite: The Stop at the Wychwood Barns in Toronto!

The view from Arnold’s hotel in Dunfanaghy  is a quintessentially beautiful Northwest scene. The light in Ireland (particularly the Northwest) is beautiful and emotive. When I woke up Friday morning and drew open my curtains, my heart stopped. I still can’t believe how gorgeous Ireland is. Every day just gets better and better! After consuming thousands of calories over the past week, I found a little more room in my stomach and indulged in a “small Irish breakfast.” Simply put, that means only ONE rasher of bacon, ONE sausage, ONE poached egg, ONE roasted tomato and ONE cup of fried mushrooms. (The thought of eating more than that just seems like an insurmountable task!). Following breakfast, Stacey and I indulged in the ultimate equestrian experience: we got to ride Irish horses on the beach. The stables is just behind Arnold’s hotel - in fact, Arnold’s hotel is the proprietor of the property. The Dunfanaghy stables themselves, however, are run by mother and daughter team Helen and Niamh. We were lucky enough to have Helen take us on our two-hour jaunt. The photos that I have been posting so far on this blog have been supplied by the Irish tourist board - I will be able to post my own personal images next week… But this image does give you the essence (although when Stacey and I were riding there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!

Beach riding in Dunfanaghy

The only way I can describe the ride is pure exhilaration! Stacey and I are already plotting about how we will be able to return to the shore of Dunfanaghy next year! Post-ride, we were driven back to Belfast by our ever-patient guide Tim Conway. We’ve developed a wonderful friendship with Tim - his insight into Ireland is delightfully educational. When we arrived in Belfast, we checked into the Fitzwilliam Belfast (remember we were at the Fitzwilliam Dublin when we first began our Irish sojourn). This hotel exudes elegance. I love the contemporary furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows. After trading our riding kit in for a more sophisticated look (a tweed Triona jacket and jeans!), we wandered over to Mourne’s seafood restaurant, where we continued to indulge in MORE food. This time, crab claws with melted Irish butter for me, fish and chips (and mushy peas!) for Stacey, whole lemon sole for Tim. Mourne’s seafood is sublime. The location is very chic too - it’s right next door to a classic Belfast pub frequented by locals - pics to come of the pub too!

I’m off now to tea at the Merchant hotel and a visit to the Belfast castle and gardens. More on that later!!!

Don’t forget, if you are interested in visiting Ireland, log on to www.discoverireland.com

It’s official. I’m a Guiness drinker. But only in Ireland. I’m not sure whether it is because of the bracing winds, the intermittent downpours or the attractive Irish barhands, but Guiness seems to be the drink of choice on my tour of Ireland. 

Today started at the Powerscourt Estate in Co. Wicklow. A fabulous property that overlooks the ridiculously perfect “Sugar Loaf” mountain, Powerscourt encompasses the best of international gardening styles in one property. From formal Italian gardens (think clipped boxwood and tight circular beds planted with red roses) to a jewel of a Japanese garden, Powerscourt sparked my gardening imagination. One particularly quirky feature, however, was the family pet cemetary (the Slazenger family, of the eponymous tennis racket manufacturing company, vacated the house in the last decade or so). Some may find it morbid, but I found the stone markers of everyone from “Mrs. Mare, a brilliant hunter & companion” who passed away in 1940 at 19 years of age to “Sailor, a curly retriever, a faithful companion for 5 years.”

The animal kingdom theme continued at the Irish National Stud, which is the only Irish stud farm opened to the public, was our next stop. Of course, I was thrilled to see some incredible thoroughbreds first-hand. Better still was our second Japanese garden of the day, which depicted rather romantically the stages of life. The garden, which I will detail later this week, was simply spectacular. It will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year.

But back to the most important part of my day: the delicious pint of Guiness that I consumed at the quintessentially Irish pub “Johnny Fox’s.” Where Irish music and dancing was the order of the day. I enjoyed my meal of colcannon soup, grilled salmon and whisky cake - perhaps a little too much! (I rarely eat dessert!). Until tomorrow’s adventures!

*of course I want a pint of Guiness!

**if you are interested in visiting Ireland, check out www.discoverireland.com

As much as I’m a traditionalist when it comes to clawfoot tubs (I have an authentic cast iron one from Kohler at home), I do love the look of some of the minimalist slipper tubs on the market. I’ve been in Ucluelet, BC for the last few days for a shoot at Cougar Annie’s garden (we will publish the story in Canadian Gardening magazine next spring), and after an intense day in the chill of a rainy BC day, I was delighted to come home to a decadent tub experience in my hotel room at Black Rock Resort. The tub is by Blu bathworks, a Canadian company located in BC. The freestanding bath tub TW8002B18 is a work of art.
The tub is deep enough for a terrific bubble bath, and has an aesthetic that is elegant enough to suit any type of bathroom (as long as you have the room of course!). I would highly recommend it…
My other tub experience had to do with the Drift spa at Black Rock Resort. As much as the idea of booking a “tub” experience at a spa seemed a little odd, I changed my mind after 20 minutes in the Eau Kur hydrotherapy tub. Granted, this may not be something you want to install in your own house (it is, after all, a spa tub!), but the combination of air bubbles that rotate throughout the tub. If you have the opportunity to experience an Eau Kur hydrotherapy tub, I would recommend it! As I write this though, I am feeling guilty about cheating on my clawfoot back at home. After all, we’ve had wonderful times together over the years! Classic in design and echoing the tradition look of clawfoot tubs, the Kohler Ironworks Historic bath.I will be home soon! And I’m looking forward to rekindling my relationship with my Kohler clawfoot!

It’s hard to imagine that there once was a time when all outdoor fabric had the thick, scratchy feel of cheap car upholstery. Worse, the only colours it was available in was forest green and the three primary colours. Now, the colour world is your oyster when it comes to finding spectacular outdoor fabrics. As everyone continues to nest at home, they are taking their living rooms and moving them outdoors. I’ve been doing a ton of research into outdoor fabrics for Canadian Gardening magazine’s 2010 season (I also edit Canadian Gardening) and have come up with some fantastic new names in the world of outdoor fabrics. If you’re thinking about doing a little outdoor decorating, there are some great inspirational websites to look at. One of my new favourites is a British designer (who is soon to be repped by Y&Co in Toronto) named Christopher Farr. His outdoor fabrics are elegant with a touch of whimsy. My absolute favourite fabric is called 36 24 36 (guess why?) and shows the silhouettes of curvy stair spindles. Very cool! I love it in orange - very fresh and fun.

36 24 36 in orange from Christopher Farr

Another site that I think is fantastic for graphic patterns for the outdoors is called Hable Constuction - neat products for indoors and out! And they are now retailing their great patterns as outdoor fabrics (also repped by Y & Co). Finally, Sunbrella is doing some really beautiful products in gorgeous shades. There’s even a dark charcoal that is incredibly chic. Sunbrella is a terrific brand, and the fabric feels terrific to the touch.

If you’re looking for inspiration about pulling together a palette, we did a story in Canadian Gardening’s May 2010 issue that was produced by Style at Home design editor Ann Marie Favot. Her focus was on two trendy looks: nautical and tropical. It’s worth taking a look at her story - in fact, here’s a sneak peek!

How I love lilacs (I don’t even need to count the ways!). And this weekend (the true May 24th weekend!) is the perfect time to experience everything gorgeous about lilacs.
I spent the wee hours of yesterday morning photographing the spectacular lilac dell at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. Photographer Andreas Trauttmansdorff and art director Jose Woertman joined me for an early morning surrounded by absolutely gorgeous lilacs. The RBG has close to 800 varieties of lilacs (possibly the biggest collection in the world!).
As I stood overlooking the dell while the sun came up behind me, I was almost overcome with the heady scent of lilacs. Every variety smells slightly different, from potent and intoxicating to the subtlest of fragrances. As I wandered the gardens while Andreas worked his photographic magic (the story will be published in the May 2010 issue of Canadian Gardening magazine), my thoughts turned to a story I had done a few years ago for Canadian Home & Country magazine’s very first Cottage Style issue.
The shoot was done at my stepmother’s place in Prince Edward County, and we shot on the May 24th weekend. If you haven’t been to Prince Edward County but have been thinking of going, nothing is more spectacular than driving through the country roads when the lilacs are in bloom. They are PLENTIFUL. You may not see the multiple varieties like you would at the RBG, but you’ll be thrilled by how prolific and magnificent they are as they grow wild along the winding roads.
At any rate, I got up early in the morning to gather as many varieties of lilacs that I could find to use for my shoot. In fact, I may have even snuck a few clippings from neighbours’ yards while the homeowners were still sleeping peacefully (not to worry, I fessed up later!)
With my armloads of lilacs, I filled every spare vessel I could find. I did small clusters of them in the kitchen, and put a huge branch of them on display in the living room. Just like in the dell at the RBG, the scent of lilacs hung heavy on the air.
If you’re inspired at all by lilacs, I implore you to head to the RBG this weekend where they are in bloom in all their glory (or of, course, take a road trip to Prince Edward County - you won’t be disappointed).
For my next blog, I’m going to list my favourite lilac varieties (hint: one of them was developed by an icon in the style industry).

Even the professionals have a hard time finding “just the right thing” for their home. For me, the holy grail for my home has been the light fixture that hangs over my dining room table.  I have a typical Victorian home (maybe typical for midtown Toronto, after all, my house is only 14 feet wide), and it is decorated in a style that is classic Home & Country: a mix of vintage with modern. I usually lean to more contemporary style, but my home has a classic Victorian structure, and, as most of you know about me, I love all things with patina. The results are a quirky (some could even say eccentric) decor style. As many of you know, I have been working on a redesign of my house. But it has been this one light fixture that has caused me grief. I’ve tried EVERYTHING! In fact, I recently took down the latest pendant light, which was a simple fabric barrel light that seemed, well, lifeless in my dining room. I visualized a number of different things: an old glittery Swedish chandelier that had tons of presence, or a simple frosted glass pendant that hung like a teardrop from the ceiling. Or how about the old faithful hurricane lantern? Sure it’s been “done to death,” but its simple classic shape is timeless. Maybe a bit boring, but the hurricane lantern will always work where nothing else does.  I even thought about getting another silk Fortuny light fixture (I have one that hangs in my attached dining room), but that simple solution seemed like cheating somehow. I KNEW there had to be the right light for me out there! I could imagine it: a modern clear glass orb with a simple light bulb. Minimalist but strong. Elegant but eclectic. And then I found it…

Niche Modern is a company in New York that designs the most attractive hand-blown glass light fixtures that I’ve ever seen. Better still, they’ve combined the artistry of glass-blowing with simple contemporary shapes. And THEN (now I’m excited), they use lightbulbs that look completely antique - the final look is the perfect juxtaposition between old and new. So here, unveiled, is the Terra light which was recently delivered to my home. Let me know what you think!

This weekend, I had dinner at the most spectacular home I’ve ever seen. Literally, this mansion (and I mean mansion) should be in the movies. And this wasn’t your typical uber-home built with no interest or sensitivity to architectural integrity. No, this house is an original: built in the late 1800s as a summer home for a wealthy American family. I can’t tell you where the house is - the homeowners are very private - but what I can tell you is that I felt thankful that residential architecture like this exists in this country.
Here are some of the details: original patterned slate roof, surrounded by the original dry moat, oriented to look spectacular when approached by a horse and carriage (not to worry, the homeowners actually have a horse AND carriage), 14-foot ceilings, spectacular atrium… the list goes on and on. What was so fascinating about this experience was that sense of pride that comes from meeting homeowners who actually appreciate and love their home. Sure, my own tiny house could fit in their front foyer (not kidding), but we were able to chat about similar experiences in restoring and renovating old houses. You know, the conversations about those contractors who would say “you should just tear it down” (and then you show them the door) and what to do when there is no such thing as a “standard” window size - because every window in your house is different. But beyond the incredible experience of being inside this house, I was also impressed by the homeowners’ decorating style. Very authentic boho chic. Wonderful old pieces of furniture with their original upholstery, eccentric vintage light fixtures. And the colour! One room is painted a deep aubergine, another in the most intense saffron. And back to the movies? Well, you HAVE seen this house before in the movies. In fact, they host photo crews their often. I’m totally inspired now to find my own country spot just like theirs. Of course, the one that I’ll be able to afford will, like my city home, fit in their foyer!

If you’re a horsey person like me (and I know that many of you out there are), you’ll approve of my tale of equestrian-inspired decor. No, not those silly patterns of bucking broncos and cowboy hats, or those saccharine ode to a love for horses courtesy of tv series like The Saddle Club. I’m talking about true, fundamenta equestrian motifs and how they translate into decorative style. 

I should probably back up a little. I was born with a horse-loving gene. From the time I was old enough to point and smile, my dad recounts that I would always light up whenever I saw an image of a horse. This sensibility has continued - and, if anything, has gotten even stronger. 

This past weekend I was at the Rolex FEI World Cup in Las Vegas. The marketplace was brimming with all things “horsey,” including some ridiculously tacky accessories for the home. But within every marketplace is always a gem, and I was able to dig up some really interesting ideas to take home with me. One of them was to use a traditional bridle rack (these can be bought inexpensively at tack shops like Greenhawk Harness) as a towel hook. They come in all sorts of fun colours, from bright purple to dark green. Better still was the artwork. Canadian Gardening Executive Editor Suzanne Moutis has started a collection of vintage horse postcards for me, and I’ve also decided to start collecting vintage equestrian paint-by-numbers. They’re very fun and retro - the perfect thing to hang in a powder room or small space.

But the best thing I’ve done for myself as far as equestrian decor was to commission a portrait of my Westfalen filly Fleur. I hired the incredibly talented Jenn Pratt to come out and photograph Fleur, and then paint her. The result has just been posted on her website. I am fascinated how a portrait can do two things so beautifully: one, to create something that resonates emotionally, and two, paint something that is an elegant addition to my decor. I think this image takes the equestrian decor motif to a whole new level! Please go to Jenn’s site http://jennprattequineartist.com and check it out!

Fleur at 6 weeks in 2008